Easel.



No. 763,382. I PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904. E. G. ENTLER. EASEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1904 N0 MODEL.

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JIHOFIjQyS Patented June 28, 1904.

EDWVIN CLINT ENTLER, OF BONAPARTE, IOWVA.

EASEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,382, dated June 28, 1904. Application filed January 30, 1904:. Serial No. 191,388. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it nutty concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN CLINT ENTLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bonaparte, in the county of Van Buren and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Easel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved easel, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device of this character particularly designed for use by artists, draftsmen, and others for holding or supporting drawingboards, canvas stretchers, and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an easel which may be quickly and conveniently adjusted to any desired height and capable of being compactly folded when not in use, so as to take up very little space.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sliding frame having a work-support pivoted thereto and adjustable at any angle or inclination with respect to said frame and means for locking the latter in adjusted position.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an easel constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section of the easel folded. Fig. 4 is adetail sectional view of the sliding frame and locking-pawls.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The main frame of the easel may be formed of wood or other suitable material and comprises a pair of longitudinal side bars 5 and 6, connected in any suitable manner by crossbars 7 and 8. Hinged to the cross-bar 7 is a pair of supporting-legs 9, braced at the bottom by a bar 10, to which is secured one end of a chain 11, the opposite end of which passes over the cross-bar 8 and is provided with a terminal hook 12, adapted to engage the links of the chain and by means of which said chain may be adjusted to regulate the distance between the frame and supporting-legs. The inner edges of the side bars 5 and 6 are longitudinally grooved or channeled, as indicated at 13, and slidably mounted between said bars is an auxiliary frame 14., substantially rectangular in shape, as shown, and provided with oppositely-disposed laterally-extending tongues or ribs 15, adapted to engage said grooves or recesses and retain the frame in position between said side bars.

Hinged to the upper cross-bar 16 of the sliding frame is a work-support 17 comprising a pair of side bars 18, connected by a cross-bar 18, which forms a shelf upon which the drawing-board or canvas rests. Pivoted to the free ends of the side bars 18 are rack-bars 19, the notches or teeth 20 of which engage loop or staples 21, fastened in any suitable manner to the lower cross-bar 22 of the sliding frame and by means of which the work-support may be adjusted at any angle or inclination with respect to said frame.

As a means for locking the sliding frame 1 1 in adjusted position I provide locking-pawls 23, pivotally mounted in slots or openings 24 in the lower cross-bar 22, said pawls having their free ends inclined or beveled, as indicated at 26, and normally held in contact with the grooves 13 by preferably coiled springs 27, fastened to the bar 22 and engaging said pawls, as shown. Pivoted in any suitable manner to the pawls 23 are operating-rods 28, the ends of which pass through guiding loops or eyes 29 and are provided with handles 30, preferably formed by bending the rods and coiling the ends thereof as indicated at 31. The terminal coils 31 of the operating-rods engage the loops or eyes 29 and prevent said pawls from being entirely withdrawn from the grooves 13 when adjusting the sliding frame, as will be readily understood.

In practice the chain 11 is iirst adjusted to give the desired inclination to the main frame IOO and to prevent the bottom thereof from spreading. The sliding frame 14 may then be adj usted by pulling inwardly on the handles 30 until the coils 31 thereof engage the loops or eyes 29, in which position the pawls will be thrown out of contact with the walls of the grooves, thereby permitting the frame to be adjusted vertically to the desired height. W'hen the handles 30 are released, the tension of the coil-springs forces the pawls in engage ment with the grooves and retains said frame in the adjusted position. or canvas-frame having been placed in position on the work-support, said support may be readily adjusted at any angle or inclination with respect to the sliding frame by disengaging the notches or teeth of the rack-bars from the staples and raising or lowering the sup port, as the case may be.

The easel may be compactly folded for transportation or shipment by folding the supporting-legs inwardly on the main frame and disengaging the rack-bars and folding said bars and the work-support within the sliding frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. An easel comprising a main frame having parallel side bars, an auxiliary frame slidably mounted between said bars, and a worksupport pivoted to the auxiliary frame and ad justable independently thereof.

2. An easel comprising a main frame having parallel side bars, an auxiliary frame slidably mounted between said bars, a work-support pivoted to the auxiliary frame, and means for locking the latter in adjusted position.

3. An easel comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame slidably mounted thereon, a work-support pivoted to the auxiliary frame and foldable within the same, and means carried by said auxiliary frameand engaging the main frame for locking the former in adjusted position.

a. An easel comprising a main frame, a support pivoted thereto, an auxiliary frame slidably mounted on the main frame, a work-sup- The drawing-board port pivoted to the auxiliary frame and foldable within the same, and an adjustable connection between the bottom of the main frame and its support.

5. An easel comprising a main frame having parallel side bars, the inner edges of which are provided with longitudinal grooves 01',

channels, an auxiliary frame slidably mounted in said grooves or channels, apair of springpressed pawls carried by the auxiliary frame and adapted to engage the grooves or channels for locking said frame in adjusted position, and a work-support pivoted to the auxiliary frame and adjustable independently thereof.

6. An easel comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame slidably mounted thereon, locking-pawls pivoted to the auxiliary frame and adapted to engage the main frame, operating-rods connected to the pawls, a work-support pivoted to the auxiliary frame, means for adjusting the work-support independently of the auxiliary frame, and means for limiting the inward movement of the o1 )erating-rods.

7 An easel comprising a main frame, a support pivoted thereto, an adjustable connection between the frame and its support, an auxiliary frame having loops orstaples secured thereto slidably mounted on the main frame, a work-support pivoted to the auxiliary frame, rack-bars pivoted to the work-support and adapted to engage the loops or staples, and a pair of locking-pawls carried by the auxiliary frame and adapted to engage the main frame for locking the former in adjusted position.

8. An easel comprising a main frame, a support hinged thereto, an auxiliary frame slidably mounted on the main frame, means for locking the former in adjusted position, and a work-support pivoted to the auxiliary frame and foldable within the same.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own 1 have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ElWVlN CLINT ENTLER.

Witnesses:

A. G. Romm'rs, W. J. JouNsoN. 

